Trick-or-Treating
by Kristen3
Summary: David can hardly wait to go trick-or-treating, but Daphne isn't so enthusiastic. Can Daphne get into the Halloween spirit before she misses out on a one-in-a-lifetime moment with her son?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This was a timely little story idea that came to me randomly today. I had intended it to be a one-shot, but since I haven't even gotten to the scene that made me want to do this, it's safe to say there's more coming!

"There we are. Perfect," Daphne said as she finished the vampire makeup on her four-year-old son. She'd expected David to want to dress as a cartoon character, or perhaps someone from _Sesame Street_, but when David saw the Dracula cape in a Halloween store, he'd begged her to buy it. Luckily, that same store also sold a makeup kit, and even a set of fake teeth, so that David would have the all-important fangs to suck out victims' blood.

"Yay, can we go get some candy now?!" David asked, impatiently jumping up and down. Daphne could hardly believe he was this excited, _before_ the sugar rush set in.

"I think so," Daphne replied. David held a plastic pumpkin, which would no doubt soon be filled with candy from their neighbors in the Montana. Daphne took David by the hand, and they walked onto the elevator together. While they waited for the doors to close, an elderly woman also entered the elevator.

"Oh, what a nice Dracula costume," the woman remarked, seeing David.

In response, David bared his fangs and hissed at her.

"David!" Daphne scolded. "I'm so sorry. Me son is just a bit too excited about Halloween." Daphne smiled apologetically at the woman.

The woman shrugged. "He's a kid. He's allowed to be excited. Believe me, he'll grow out of this fast."

The words took Daphne by surprise. But she knew they were true. He'd gone from baby to toddler to near-kindergartener seemingly in the blink of an eye. How long would it be before David wanted to go trick-or-treating with his friends rather than his mom?

"Mom? Aren't we supposed to get off here?" David asked when they'd reached the next floor.

"Oh, right. Of course," Daphne said, her mind suddenly returning to the present. They got off the elevator, and David nearly pulled Daphne to the first apartment door. The neighbors were duly impressed with David's costume. Several people even commented on it as they handed David his candy. Daphne was grateful for the fact that David could trick-or-treat right here in their apartment building, without even having to go outside. Unfortunately, Seattle was having its usual rainy weather.

When they'd stopped at almost all of the apartments in their building, Daphne walked David back to the elevator so that they could go home. She'd barely kept up with her son, and she was glad it was all over.

David was shocked when he saw his mom press the button for their floor. He didn't want to go home yet. "Mommy, I'm not done trick-or-treating!" he exclaimed.

"Your pumpkin is nearly full. You've got enough candy there to last you till next Halloween," Daphne said. "Your dad's going to be home soon."

"But Grandpa hasn't seen my costume yet!" David whined.

Daphne was about to put her foot down. Driving to her father-in-law's was about the last thing she wanted to do right now. But the elderly woman's words echoed in her mind. David would only be young for a very short time. "All right," she finally said with a sigh. "But we're not staying long!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Anika (**BaronessBlixen**) for giving me a suggestion to make this chapter better!

"You think Grandpa's going to like my costume?" David asked as they walked up to Martin and Ronee's door.

"I think he will," Daphne replied. She knew David was clearly enjoying playing the part of Dracula. She couldn't help wondering if it was a sign he would be bitten by the acting bug when he got older.

They approached the front door, and David reached up to ring the doorbell. They heard footsteps inside the house, and soon Martin opened the door.

"Hey, Ronee," Martin called over his shoulder. "There's a vampire at our door, and I think he wants to suck my blood!"

"Marty, if this is another one of your jokes -" Ronee walked into the living room and saw Daphne and David standing there. "Oh, hello."

Martin grabbed the nearby bowl of candy. "So, Daph, do you think this vampire will leave an old man alone if I give him some of this?"

"I don't know. Why don't you try it and see?" Daphne replied with a wink.

When his grandfather put a generous handful of chocolate bars into his plastic pumpkin, David couldn't hold back any longer. He giggled. "Grandpa, it's me, David!"

Martin gave a gasp of mock surprise. "Oh, good! I thought your mother had picked up a strange hitchhiker! It _is_ Halloween, you know."

"Did I really scare you?" David asked in disbelief.

Martin nodded. "You're the scariest vampire I've seen all day."

David grinned proudly. His Grandpa used to be a cop, which meant he wasn't supposed to be scared of _anything_. But this costume had really fooled him into thinking he was a real live vampire!

"Well, young man, are you through scaring your grandfather half to death?" Daphne asked.

"I guess so," David replied reluctantly.

"Well, even vampires have to eat dinner. Say goodbye to Ronee and your grandpa."

David hugged Martin around the waist. "Thanks for the candy, Grandpa!"

"Aw, it was nothing. We didn't get many kids today besides you. I'm your grandfather, I'm supposed to spoil you!"

"Bye, Ronee," David said.

Ronee waved goodbye and Daphne and David returned home.

Daphne went into the kitchen to get started making dinner. David, still wearing his cape and fangs, sat down on the fainting couch to watch TV.

A few minutes later, David heard his father's footsteps coming off the elevator, so he went and opened the door.

Niles was momentarily surprised by the sight of his son in costume. "Daphne, my love, I think we need to call building security. It seems someone allowed a vampire to come right into our home," he said, loud enough for Daphne to hear in the kitchen.

Daphne emerged from the kitchen. "No, it's all right. That one's ours," she said with a grin. "I just took David over to visit your father. Gave him quite a scare, seeing Dracula on his doorstep."

"Well, it seems my son might be headed for an acting career. People do love horror movies," he said to David.

But David wasn't thinking about his future career. He was far more interested in the mountain of candy he now had. Halloween, he decided, might just be the best day of the year.

**The End**


End file.
